Art Collections Online

Pet

We are confronted by a child with a black eye. She holds a toy dog with an identical injury. It may be imagined that the girl has been the victim of an accident or physical abuse. However, she is smiling, which introduces ambiguity into this unsettling painting. The subversion of an idealised or sentimental view of childhood is a recurrent theme in Rielly’s work.

Comments - (1)

Nerissa Vaughan

1February2012, 21:14

I came to the museum with my school Brynmawr Comprehensive, and this painting really impressed so many girls that i know as we all have decided to pick out parts of this painting and to draw and paint our version.

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